Spergularia. | XII, CARYOPHYLLACES. 75 
biennial, glabrous or with a short viscid down in the upper parts, with 
numerous stems branching from the base, and forming spreading or pros- 
trate tufts, 3 or 4 inches, or, when very luxuriant, 6 inches long. Leaves 
narrow-linear ; the scarious stipules at the base short, but very conspicuous. 
Flowers very variable in size, usually pink, or rarely nearly white, on 
short pedicels, in forked cymes, usually leafy at the base. Petals shorter, 
or rarely rather longer than the sepals. Seeds more or less flattened, often 
“ase uae by a narrow, scarious wing or border. Lepigonum rubrum, 
ries, 
In sandy or gravelly heaths and waste places, chiefly in maritime coun- 
tries, widely spread over Europe, Russian Asia, North America, and 
Australia. Common in Britain. #7. all summer. There are two marked 
varieties ; one, chiefly occurring inland, has slender leaves, small flowers 
(the sepals 1 to 2 lines long), short capsules, and the seeds rarely bordered ; 
the other, generally growing near the sea, often distinguished as a species, 
under the name of S. marina, has thicker, somewhat fleshy leaves, larger 
flowers (the sepals 2 to 3 lines long), larger capsules, and the seeds usually 
bordered, but both varieties occur with bordered and with unbordered 
seeds. 
[Most authors distinguish four British species, of which two are annuals 
or biennials. a. S. rubra, Pers., with linear flat acute leaves, short 
capsules and tubercled seeds with thick margins. b. S. salina, Pres], 
with semicylindric acuminate leaves, longer capsules, and seeds usually 
smooth, winged or not; and two are perennials, both with semicylindric 
leaves. c. S. media, Pers., glabrous with long capsules and winged seeds. 
d. S. rupestris, Lebel, with short capsules and pyriform seeds not winged. 
All are maritime except S, rubra.] 
XIII. SPERGULA. SPURRY. 
Slender herbs, with narrow-linear leaves in opposite clusters, so as to 
appear whorled, and minute, scarious stipules. Sepals 5. Petals 5, undi- 
vided. Stamens 10, or occasionally 5 or fewer. Styles 5. Capsule opening 
in 5 entire valves. 
A very small European and Asiatic genus, differing from Sagina, as 
Spergularia does from Arenaria, by the presence of scarious stipules. 
1. Spergula arvensis, Linn. (fig. 171). Corn Spurry.—A slender 
annual, branching at the base into several erect or ascending stems, 6 inches 
to a foot high, glabrous or slightly downy. Leaves almost subulate, 1 to 
2 inches long, growing 6 or 8 together in two opposite clusters, and spread- 
ing so as to appear whorled. ‘The scarious stipules much smaller than in 
Spergularia, and sometimes rather difficult to see. Flowers small, white, 
on long slender pedicels, turned down after flowering, in terminal, forked 
cymes. Sepals 13 to 2 lines long. Petals generally shorter. Stamens 
frequently 10 or 5 in different flowers of the same plant. Seeds slightly 
flattened, with or without a narrow, scarious border. 
In cultivated and waste places, widely spread over Europe, and Russian 
and central Asia; but in the northern districts, as in many other parts of 
the world, only as a cornfield weed. Common in British cornfields. Fi, 
all summer. | 
